Meet My Sexy Beau

Raise your hand if a French wine under $20 is only on your list for the coq au vin pot.   I was right there with you… Until I rediscovered the wines of Beaujolais and was completely blown away.

Beau Beyond Nouveau

French wines under $20… Why so inexpensive?  When I say “Beaujolais” you say  – “Nouveau.”  In some ways the success of Beaujolais Nouveau has been the undoing of the Beaujolais appellation.  The popular and trendy Beaujolais Nouveau released each November put the region on the map for new world wine drinkers, but has also influenced reputation. Wines labeled Beaujolais Villages are typically higher quality.  The highest quality bear individual village names on the label and won’t always say the word “Beaujolais.”

Soil samples from:  www.terroirs-originels.com

The Beau You Should Know

Beaujolais has a wine making tradition that stretches back through the centuries. The best wines of the region come from ten villages with sloped sunny vineyards along the Saone River.  This region is the southern most part of Burgundy and in classic French fashion each village presents a different expression of the Gamay grape. Pinot noir is a part of the Gamay lineage and there are some similarities.  There is a reason it is said Gamay is “PNOT.” A combination of varietal characteristics and wine making techniques make Beaujolais softer, fruiter, and less tannic than red Burgundy. As a result, Beaujolais can be more versatile for food pairings.  Don’t believe me, keep reading.

How I Met My Beau

An overcast night in Portland found me at a Beaujolais and seafood pairing event at Salty’s on the Columbia.  Having never been a fan of red wines with seafood or fish, I was dubious.   Would this be like a blind date with “good personality guy?” The Beau I discovered was sexy AND worthy of a long term relationship.

 

The pairings perfectly matched the distinctive characteristics of each wine.  I discovered that heavier dishes of Ahi tuna and salmon were better with Beaujolais than any Pinot noir I have tried.  Surprisingly the pairing was also wonderful with halibut and was suggested with sea bass.  Each dish was a complex layering of fearless flavors creating a seamless marriage with the broad flavor profiles of  Beaujolais.Shellfish courses highlighted even greater variety from Beaujolais as we enjoyed a rose with oysters and a Chardonnay with lobster.

 

Get Your Own Beau

It is pretty easy to find Beaujolais across the U.S. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are ready to discover Beaujolais yourself!  Bottles that say “Beaujolais” on the label are often well under $20 – it’s quite a bargain! The higher quality selections of Beaujolais, aptly named “Cru”, are often priced between $15-$25.  These selections come from the northernmost part of the region, where the terroir is often deemed the best for the Gamay grape.  These labels may not say “Beaujolais.”

 

How will you know if you are buying a Beaujolais Cru?  Look at the front label for one of these ten villages: Brouilly (bree-yee); Chenas (shay-nah); Chiroubles (she-ruble); Cote de Brouilly (coat de brew yee); Fleurie (flury); Julienas (julien-ah); Morgon (mor goan); Moulin-a-vent (moolana-vuh); Regnie (rein yay); Saint-Amour (sand amoor).  Try a Beaujolias (or even a Beaujolias Cru) and don’t forget to tell me about how you’ve discovered your new “Beau.”

Click here for more information on Beaujolais.

For those who won’t be satisfied without the intimate details, here are brief tasting notes on the evening’s wines:

• 2012 Chateau Thivin, Beaujolais Rose – dry, crisp, tart red fruit flavors with body and acid to compliment a selection of oysters, crab, shrimp and mussels.
• 2012 Domain Lucien Lardy, Beaujolais Villages Blanc (Chardonnay) – notes of buttered bread, tropical banana, and spicy on the finish, full body and balancing acid. Paired with lobster.
• 2011 Villa Ponciago, La Reserve, Fleurie –  lavender, rose, dark fruits, spice and soft tannins. Paired with Ahi tuna.
• 2011 Christophe Pacalet, Chiroubles – most old world in style with leather and earth notes, purple and red fruit and higher tannins.  Paired with halibut and morels.
• 2011 Nicole Chanrion, Cote de Brouilly – most new world in style; fruit forward with bright red fruits, higher alcohol and peppery spice.  Paired with Columbia River salmon.
• 2011 Paul-Henri Thillardon Les Carrieres, Chenas- high acidity and fresh springy red fruit and flowers. Paired with an assortment of local cheese.